1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus configured to use a job ticket, a method for executing a job using a job ticket, and so on.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image processing apparatuses having a variety of functions, such as copying, PC printing, scanning, faxing, and file transfer, have recently come into widespread use. Such image processing apparatuses are sometimes called “multifunction devices”, “Multi-Function Peripherals (MFPs)”, or the like.
Further, an image processing apparatus that can handle a job ticket has recently been realized. A job ticket contains, therein, process steps of a job, conditions for each process of the job, and so on. A user uses such a job ticket like a job template, so that he/she can easily specify conditions in such an image processing apparatus.
A printing controller capable of handling a job ticket is disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2008-040899. The printing controller stores, therein, an overwritten job ticket for defining forced print attributes and a standard value job ticket for defining standard print attributes. Then, a received original job ticket is overwritten based on the overwritten job ticket regardless of whether or not the print attributes are described, and, only when the print attributes are not described, the received original job ticket is overwritten based on the standard value job ticket. Consequently, a corrected job ticket is created.
In essence, according to the printing controller disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2008-040899, conditions such as print attributes defined in the overwritten job ticket are absolute and not allowed to be changed.
Forcing the use of job conditions results in, for example, a disadvantage that a job ticket cannot be used in an image processing apparatus to which the job conditions are not applicable. On the other hand, forcing the use of print attributes is advantageous, for example, for the case of using a job ticket in an organization.